This application claims the priority of German Patent Application 199 08 499.8, filed Feb. 26, 1999, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a wind partition arrangement for two-seat open motor vehicles, such as roadsters or convertibles, having vehicle seats accommodated in a vehicle occupant compartment and arranged side-by-side, each seat having a backrest and a headrest arranged above the backrest, said wind partition arrangement comprising:
an essentially vertically aligned wind partition which covers the headrest area behind the backrests, an essentially horizontally aligned covering part which covers a clearance between the wind partition and a rear wall of the vehicle occupant compartment, and
a heating device which has at least one heat exchanger; through which at least a portion of the air can flow which reaches the headrest area.
When driving with an open top, such wind partition arrangements reduce the considerable draft air phenomena in the shoulder and neck region of the vehicle occupants which are caused by the reverse flow of the air stream.
In the case of two-seat motor vehicles, in which a clearance or a rearward space for accommodating an emergency seat or for storing luggage exists between the backrests and the rear wall of the vehicle occupant compartment, the covering part is used for preventing a flow under the wind partition, in order to obtain the maximal effect of the wind partition. In the case of two-seat motor vehicles, in which the backrests directly adjoin the rear wall of the vehicle occupant compartment, this covering part is eliminated because of the non-existent clearance. In both cases, the heating system is used for ventilating the headrest area with warm air and permits, because of the resulting warming of the shoulder and neck region of the vehicle occupants, a driving with an open top also when outside temperatures are relatively low.
In the case of a wind partition arrangement for an open motor vehicle (German Patent Document DE 197 00 739 C1), the flatly designed heat exchanger of the heating system extends directly along a portion of the effective surface of the wind partition provided with net-type openings. In one embodiment, the heat exchanger is integrated in the form of an electric resistance wire mesh into the wind partition; in another embodiment, the flatly constructed heat exchanger, as a rigid structure, is joined in parallel to the wind partition and is connected with the latter by fastening elements. The heat exchanger is either electrically heated or operated by a liquid or gaseous medium in a heat transmission circuit. The heating output is controlled as a function of the driving speed.
It is an object of the invention to ensure a wind partition arrangement of the initially mentioned type in a compact construction with the advantageous warm air supply to the headrest area without an intervention into the wind partition arrangement.
This object is achieved by providing an arrangement of the above described type, wherein the covering part has a function element for guiding air which is connected with the heat exchanger, and has two air outlet nozzles assigned to one vehicle seat respectively, which air outlet nozzles are arranged with an air outflow direction pointing to the headrests, directly below the wind partition.
The wind partition arrangement according to the invention has the advantage that the heating system is not arranged in or i on the wind partition itself but away from the wind partition and therefore does not disturb or interfere with the efforts for obtaining an attractive wind partition design. As the result of the additional utilization of the covering part for the air guidance of the inflow and outflow air to and from the heat exchanger, a space-saving compact module is provided for the draft-free air-conditioning of the shoulder and neck region of the vehicle occupants, which requires little space in the rear compartment, so that sufficient space remains for storing the luggage. The heating system operates dynamically utilizing the reverse flow of the air stream behind the wind partition and requires no separate fan. However, a fan may be provided optionally in order to obtain the heating comfort when stopped or when driving extremely slowly.
Advantageous embodiments of the wind partition arrangement according to the invention with expedient developments and further developments of the invention are described herein and in the claims.
According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the covering part has a plate-shaped construction and, in an assignment to one headrest respectively, has two openings situated close to the wind partition, each opening being covered by the air inlet surface of a heat exchanger arranged on the underside of the covering part. An air guiding element, which encloses the heat exchanger, extends to the opening edge and forms one piece with the covering part, is connected with an air outlet nozzle whose air outlet direction points to the assigned headrest.
In an alternative embodiment, the also plate-shaped covering part has only one opening, preferably situated in the center between the headrests on the wind partition, which opening, in turn, is covered by the air inlet surface of a heat exchanger. The two air outlet nozzles are connected by way of a common air guidance element, which encloses the opening edge and preferably forms one piece with the covering part, with the opening and thus with the heat outlet surface of the heat exchanger.
Both embodiments have the advantage that the air taken in behind the wind partition on the basis of the reverse flow of the air stream reaches the air outlet nozzles along the shortest route by way of the heat exchanger.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the covering part is constructed in a hollow box shape and has, in its upper box wall, an air inlet opening preferably arranged in the center between the headrests close to the wind partition. In the box interior, an air inlet duct is constructed which leads to the air inlet surface of the at least one heat exchanger, and two air outlet ducts are constructed which each laterally adjoin the air inlet duct and lead from the air outlet surface of the at least one heat exchanger to one of the two air outlet nozzles respectively. The heat exchanger is integrated either in the box-shaped covering part itself or in a separate housing module which is either an integral component of the rear wall of the vehicle occupant compartment or is arranged as a separate component in the vehicle occupant compartment or is fastened to the rear wall of the vehicle occupant compartment.
The advantage of this constructive embodiment of the invention is the fact that the at least one heat exchanger is accommodated closer to the superstructure or the body of the motor vehicle and is therefore situated in a more protected manner and farther away from the occupant in a safe area with respect to possible crash events of the motor vehicle. As the result of integrated air flaps in the lower box wall, the box-shaped covering part also permits the flowing of air into the rear compartment and thus the heating of the interior in the uncontrolled air operation, for example, after a cold start. Switch off criteria in this case are the control start of the heating or air-conditioning system of the motor vehicle.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.